A commonly recognized problem associated with washing cups and the like in an automatic dishwasher is that cups and cup-shaped articles placed within the dishwasher racks often have a tendency to shift and tip over during the wash cycle. Regardless of the cause of such movement, it is not desirable. Cups and the like which are tipped over during the wash cycle will, quite obviously, collect water and other debris which is normally intended to be washed away. In the case of fine china and other fragile dinnerware, such shifting can result in chipping and even breaking of the pieces.
Some prior devices have attempted to deal with these problems by providing article holders to retain the cups and the like in a fixed position within the dishwasher rack. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,854 to Kauffman illustrates an article retaining device in the form of a clip which secures one side of a cup to a dishwasher rack prong. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,033 to Patera et al shows another removable article holder in the form of a curvilinear biasing member which is intended to be attached to a horizontally extending tine of the dish rack. Both of these prior devices accomplish the holding of the cups by utilizing contact points within the cup which is begin held.
It is, in the experience of this inventor, advantageous to avoid the securing of any cups or the like by using contact points within the cup. Such contact points tend to create a "trap" for dishwasher debris and soap. Such a trap can create just as undesirable of a cleaning result as an overturned cup will. That is, any point-to-point contact within the cup is to be avoided.